Bow string drawing and release device

ABSTRACT

A hand held bow string drawing and release member having a notch formed for engagement with and drawing of the bow string, a finger engaging portion formed for drawing the bow string to a stable bow tensioned position with the use of a single finger, and another finger engaging portion positioned to provide a trigger release of the bow string upon squeezing down on the several finger portions. The finger engaging portion used in drawing the string is aligned with the notch in such a way that the mid-point of this portion will be directly behind the notch while the bow string is being drawn by a single finger.

ii ited States Patent Halter 151 3,656,467 51 Apr. 18, 1972 [54] BOW STRING DRAWING AND RELEASE DEVICE [2l] Appl. No.: 106,907

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 41,495, May 28, 1970, aban- UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,650 10/1938 Baker ..124/35 2,461,042 2/1949 Eicholtz 124/35 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant ExaminerWilliam R. Browne Attorney-Warren, Rubin, Brucker & Chickering [57] ABSTRACT A hand held bow string drawing and release member having a notch formed for engagement with and drawing of the bow string, a finger engaging portion formed for drawing the bow string to a stable bow tensioned position with the use of a single finger, and another finger engaging portion positioned to provide a trigger release of the bow string upon squeezing down on the several finger portions. The finger engaging portion used in drawing the string is aligned with the notch in such a way that the mid-point of this portion will be directly behind the notch while the bow string is being drawn by a single finger.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BOW STRING DRAWING AND RELEASE DEVICE The invention, a continuation of application Ser. No. 41,495 filed May 28, 1970, now abandoned, relates to improvements in the field of archery, and more particularly, to devices used to engage, draw, and release a bow string.

Manually held and operated bow string draw and release devices have been proposed in the art to improve the ease, comfort, accuracy and power of the archer. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,000,015, 2,084,634, 2,133,650, and 2,461,042. Optimum accuracy has been obtained by the use of mechanical devices such as a crossbow, or the like, having moving parts providing a mechanical trigger for the release of the bow string so that the two actions of drawing the bow string and releasing the bow string are quite independent of each other. However, devices with such moving parts are not permitted to be used in ordinary tournament work. All of the other devices known to applicant, that is those without moving parts, require a large interdependence upon the two actions of drawing and releasing the bow string and to this extent the resultant accuracy in the use of the devices is significantly impaired. For example, in such prior devices the archer was required to shift his hand position to let up on the bow tension immediately prior to and as a means of releasing the bow string.

The present device may be distinguished from the prior devices in the fact that the bow string is drawn with one action and the bow string release is accomplished by a finger squeezing action which provides a highly precision controlled trigger-like release of the bow string without significantly changing the position of the archers hand or requiring the letting up of the bow string. Consequently, the device of the present invention is capable of producing accuracy in archery approaching that of the mechanical, moving part trigger release mechanism; but without such moving parts and in a manner completely acceptable to and in conformity with present day tournament rules.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bow string drawing and release device of the character described in which a single finger pull on the device positions the finger directly behind the bow string and affords a fixed anchor point and improved line of sight to the target throughout the entire firing operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character above in which the reaction motion accompanying the release of the spring is accomplished with greater safety to the archer and absence of likely injury to his hands or fingers.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character above which lends itself to inexpensive mass production.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which of the foregoing will be set forthin the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a bow string drawing and release device constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated in bow tensioned position.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device in firing position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in association with a bow string and arrow.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view on a somewhat enlarged scale of the notch portion of the device.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device similar to FIG. 4 but showing a modified form of the invention.

The bow string drawing and release device of the present invention consists briefly of a member 6 having a notch 7 formed and dimensioned to engage and draw a bow string 8 for tensioning the archers bow; a finger engaging portion 9 having a concave pressure area formed for finger engagement and being formed and disposed for drawing a bow string to a stable bow tension position as depicted in FIG. I with the use of a single finger engaging the pressure area; a second finger engaging portion 12 spaced laterally from area 11 for rocking of the member to firing position; and the notch 7 being formed, as illustrated in FIG. 2, to release the string in firing position.

As an important feature of the present invention the form and disposition of area 11 is such that the finger pull thereon is resolved into a resultant force, suggested by arrow 13, substantially aligned with the plane of the drawn bow string so that the device is entirely stable when pulled by a single finger engaging area 11 to bow tensioned position. In the latter position of the device it will be noted that surface 14 of the notch which functions as the bow string release surface lies at an acute angle to the plane of the drawn bow string so as to retain the bow string in the notch. As the device is rocked, in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings, by the application of force to surface 12, surface 14 opens up, finally passing perpendicular with respect to the plane of the string when the string is released in firing position as illustrated in FIG. 2. The angle of surface 14 to the bow string plane accordingly determines the sensitivity of the device. Experts using the device will normally adjust this angle to but a few degrees so that only a minor rocking action will release the bow string. On the other hand less expert archers will prefer to use a larger angle requiring a somewhat greater rocking action of the device to reach firing position and thus provide greater stability in use. With reference to FIG. 5 it will be observed that the acute angle y between surface 14 and bow string plane 16 will retain the bow string in the notch in the drawn position of the bow. Normally, this angle will be between about 60 and with a preferred angle of about 75 for average use. As will also be seen from FIG. 5, angle x represents the rotation required to move the device to firing position and in accordance with the foregoing this angle may be anywhere from about 5 for an expert to perhaps 30 for a novice.

In the preferred construction of the device portion 9 and area 11 are formed and disposed for engagement by the users index finger 17, shown in phantom line in the drawing, and portion 12 is formed and disposed for engagement by the users middle finger 18. For this purpose portion 12 is formed laterally to one side of portion 9 in the bow string tensioned position of the device as illustrated in the drawing, and is also of general concave form as viewed in plan and forwardly convex as viewed in cross-section so as to better receive and nest the middle finger when engaged therewith. Normally, in the drawing of the bow string to bow tensioned position, the middle finger will be simply laid upon the upper surface of portion 12 and then subsequently extended down and around the portion in a squeezing type action to cause rotation of the member to firing position as above explained. Preferably a third area 21 is provided on the member for engagement by the users thumb so as to assist in holding and stabilizing the position of the member. This area is preferably arranged in a substantially vertical plane to the left side of area 11, as seen in the drawing, that is, the side opposite from portion 12. As will be observed from FIGS. 1 and 2, lateral pressure by the users thumb will resist the turning of the device caused by pressure from the middle finger 18, and consequently a coordination of these two fingers will provide a smooth rocking of the device to firing position. In such motion as above explained full pressure is maintained on index finger 17 so that there is no letting up of the bow string tension.

In the interest of economical production of the device, the member may be symmetrically formed for both left hand and right hand operation. This is accomplished as will be best seen from FIG. 4 by forming surface 11 of convex form symmetrical to a midplane of the member so that the member may be merely inverted from the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for left hand operation.

It is also convenient in the handling of the device and its controlled precision movement from bow tensioned to firing position to provide a further exterior surface 23 on the side of the member opposite to surface 21 in position for engagement with the user's ring finger 24. As will be observed from FIG. 1 the general configuration of the member is that of a hook having bow string 7 at one end of the hook and the finger engaging portion 9 at the opposite end of the hook, and with the portion 12 being provided in the form ofa laterally extending arm from the body of the hook. Surface 23 is thus provided at the lateral exterior of the arm.

A modified form of the device is illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawing wherein the finger engaging portion 9a is specially contoured for optimum left hand or right hand operation. In such case, the portion 9a is formed with an upper convex corner portion 26 positioned for engagement by the portion of the index finger adjacent the first joint 27 which causes the finger to wrap around this curved convex corner, and a relatively sharper lower corner 28 positioned for engagement by the second joint 29 of the finger thus better anchoring the member within the grasp of the index finger.

in use the device is engaged and carried in the fingers of the users hand as generally illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, placed on the bow string 8 so as to engage the latter in notch 7 below the neck of the arrow 31. The member is then drawn away from the bow by means of the index finger with the device being further stabilized if desired by the thumb and ring finger as above discussed. The hand is drawn back to the archers cheek with the index finer being disposed directly in line behind the string and in the plane thereof, thus affording improved sighting by the archer over the arrow to the target. The knuckle of the index finger is preferably braced against the jaw or lower cheek area of the user as an anchor point while the archer takes his aim. The middle finger 18 is then dropped down and around portion 12 and the action of the hand is one of slow squeezing motion which causes the small rotation or rocking of the device under highly controlled conditions to its firing position effecting a clean, sharp release of the bow string. At the moment of firing the archers hand springs back in a reaction motion but moves cleanly away from the facial area of the archer. Also, due to the alignment of forces, there is a minimal rotational moment on the member following firing and which is easily contained within the archers hand without problem or injury. Ofimportance is the fact that during the movement of the member from bow tensioned to firing position, the index finger remains anchored, the direction of firing unaltered, and the bow string released very cleanly so as to provide archery of highest obtainable precision very closely approaching that obtainable by the use of mechanical trigger devices having moving parts.

lclaim:

1. A bow string drawing and release device comprising a member providing a bow string notch having an open side for receipt of a bow string and said member having finger engaging portions for drawing a bow string engaged in said notch to and releasing it from bow tensioned position, the improvement comprising:

the open side of said notch and a first of said finger engaging portions being positioned in confronting relation and being spaced apart to define an opening therebetween for entering a bow string to said notch and an archers finger to said first portion, said first portion providing a finger engaging pressure area, a mid-point of which has a perpendicular force line intersecting said notch thereby positioning said area mid-point directly behind said notch and in a common plane therewith when the bow string and bow are in bow tensioned position, thereby permitting the drawing ofa bow string to stable bow tensioned position with the use of only a single finger engaged with said area; and a second finger engaging portion positioned in laterally spaced relation to said plane for rocking said member to a firing position releasing the string from said notch while maintaining full bow string drawing force on said area.

2. A member as defined in claim 1 and comprising: a shank positioned between and extending forwardly from said finger engaging portions and whose sides are formed from extensions of said portions, said shank providing said notch.

3. A member as defined in claim 2, said first portion being of concave form to receive the fore finger of the user and being positioned nearer the user than said second portion in said bow tensioned position: and

said second portion being formed to receive a middle finger of a user.

4. A member as defined in claim 3, said portions and notch being formed and positioned for inversion of said member for optional right and left handed use.

5. A member as defined in claim 4, said first portion having an outermost edge disposed laterally from said plane and being formed for engagement by the thumb ofa user.

6. A member as defined in claim 5, said first portion and shank being substantially hook shaped with said notch being positioned adjacent one end of said shank and said first and second portions being positioned adjacent and on opposite sides of the other end of said shank.

7. A member as defined in claim 6, said second portion having an outer edge disposed laterally from said plane and being formed for engagement by the ring finger ofa user.

8. A member as defined in claim 7, said notch having a bow string release surface forming an angle of approximately with said plane.

9. A member as defined in claim 3, said first portion having a curved outer surface receiving the index finger of a user at the second joint and having a sharp corner closely adjacent said curved surface adapted to receive the firstjoint ofa user's index finger. 

1. A bow string drawing and release device comprising a member providing a bow string notch having an open side for receipt of a bow string and said member having finger engaging portions for drawing a bow string engaged in said notch to and releasing it from bow tensioned position, the improvement comprising: the open side of said notch and a first of said finger engaging portions being positioned in confronting relation and being spaced apart to define an opening therebetween for entering a bow string to said notch and an archer''s finger to said first portion, said first portion providing a finger engaging pressure area, a mid-point of which has a perpendicular force line intersecting said notch thereby positioning said area midpoint directly behind said notch and in a common plane therewith when the bow string and bow are in bow tensioned position, thereby permitting the drawing of a bow string to stable bow tensioned position with the use of only a single finger engaged with said area; and a second finger engaging portion positioned in laterally spaced relation to said plane for rocking said member to a firing position releasing the string from said notch while maintaining full bow string drawing force on said area.
 2. A member as defined in claim 1 and comprising: a shank positioned between and extending forwardly from said finger engaging portions and whose sides are formed from extensions of said portions, said shank providing said notch.
 3. A member as defined in claim 2, said first portion being of concave form to receive the fore finger of the user and being positioned nearer the user than said second portion in said bow tensioned position: and said second portion being formed to receive a middle finger of a user.
 4. A member as defined in claim 3, said portions and notch being formed and positioned for inversion of said member for optional right and left handed use.
 5. A member as defined in claim 4, said first portion having an outermost edge disposed laterally from said plane and being formed for engagement by the thumb of a user.
 6. A member as defined in claim 5, said first portion and shank being substantially hook shaped with said notch being positioned adjacent one end of said shank and said first and second portions being positioned adjacent and on opposite sides of the other end of said shank.
 7. A member as defined in claim 6, said second portion having an outer edge disposed laterally from said plane and being formed for engagement by the ring finger of a user.
 8. A member as defined in claim 7, said notch having a bow string release surface forming an angle of approximately 75* with said plane.
 9. A member as defined in claim 3, said first portion having a curved outer surface receiving the index finger of a user at the second joint and having a sharp corner closely adjacent said curved surface adapted to receive the first joint of a user''s index finger. 